Research on Policy Instruments in Education, 2005–2023: A Scoping Review

Purpose This review aims to describe and analyze the contributions and challenges of a body of literature on public education policies that views policy instruments as sociological institutions. Design/Approach/Method Based on a scoping review of 42 peer-reviewed articles published from 2009 to 2023 in academic journals, the paper outlines the evolution of research on the sociology of policy instruments in education, considering the main policy themes and policy instruments studied, as well as the theoretical and methodological solutions in use. Findings The review highlights the main contributions and challenges of this body of research, considering three key dimensions: the institutional elements, trajectories, and effects of policy instruments. It shows that this research has been particularly productive in analyzing the consolidation of performance-based governance; the Europeanization of education; and the legitimization of new policy actors, such as intergovernmental organizations, and private actors (at the transnational level), as well as intermediary actors (at the national and local levels). Originality/Value Bringing together contributions from contrasting national contexts, the review addresses the contemporary complexity of education policy, highlighting how power is exercised in society and education, by capturing the ways instruments define problems and hold and materialize solutions in those contexts.